PDP along with BJP plans to divest J&K of special status: NC

Opposition National Conference (NC) on Thursday said CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's comments about by-passing the state Legislature in extending the National Food Security Act to Jammu and Kashmir was a clear sign of PDP's "covert understanding" with the BJP to "completely undermine" the state's special status.

Srinagar: Opposition National Conference (NC) on Thursday said CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's comments about by-passing the state Legislature in extending the National Food Security Act to Jammu and Kashmir was a clear sign of PDP's "covert understanding" with the BJP to "completely undermine" the state's special status.

Addressing party workers at Chadoora in Budgam?district, NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar?said "Sayeed's statement that there was no need for legislation and that the Central Act would be directly extended to J-K is unprecedented and shocking. The political?interests and rights of the people of the state cannot be compromised with."

"Sayeed's remarks about by-passing the State Legislature have created panic across the state and are being seen as the first brazen self-admission by the PDP of being hand-in-glove with the BJP in a plan to divest the state of its special status," he said.

Sagar said the PDP-BJP government "continued to alienate the youth" of the state as "there is an enormous political vacuum since we have a government and a Chief Minister who have effectively sidelined all core political issues".

Sagar alleged that the political narrative is? conspicuously missing, which can have far-reaching adverse? implications on the prospects of safety and stability in Jammu?and Kashmir.

"All political promises made by the PDP stand ridiculed and abandoned by them ? be those promises about the?return of power projects, promises about rehabilitating the flood victims, promises about revocation of AFSPA or the?promise of going for an alleged 'battle of ideas' with the separatist leadership ? most of whom have been persecuted, incarcerated and politically ostracised by the PDP-BJP government," the NC General Secretary said.